Look: Texas Housing Trust Fund Lobby Day

For many, the dream of actually owning a house someday is nearly impossible to achieve, due both to low incomes and expensive home prices. We've shown you some organizations around Austin working to increase the numbers of families able to afford housing, and in today's post we'd like to introduce you to a way to ensure that these organizations continue to receive the funding they need to to make the house dream possible.

On March 17th, the Housing Trust Fund Campaign will lobby members of the Texas Legislature to encourage them to support long-term, sustainable funding for the Housing Trust Fund. You could work side-by-side with organizations and individuals who are working towards a much-needed increase of funding for affordable housing and low-income families.

The Texas Housing Trust Fund Campaign is calling on the legislature to invest in the Housing Trust Fund, with a goal of $40 million per year. The Housing Trust Fund currently makes up the state's only funding for affordable homes, and to date receives only $5 million per year. Because of the Trust Fund's flexibility, it can be used for many of the state's crucial programs, like single-family and multi-family home construction, shelter services, supportive housing, and housing for victims of domestic violence, veterans and even people with disabilities.

If interested in this event to raise funds, meet at the north steps of the Texas Capitol building (the side facing 15th Street) at 1:30p.m. on March 17th. For more information on this event, visit the Real Community Austin website. For more information about the Trust Fund and the campaign, visit the Housing Texas website.